Bloodline Abilities

In addition to the classical sacred arts, some people possess extra abilities that they inherit from their progenitors, known as bloodline abilities, a bloodline legacy, etc. The two main bloodline inheritances in Cradle are passed down to House Arelius and to House Akura.

Arelius Bloodline Ability

Also called Arelius Senses. Arelius Sight. Arelius Eyes.
The first known bloodline ability on Cradle. This ability was deliberately developed several thousand years ago by the first Patriarch of House Arelius, the genius Ozmanthus Arelius. It has been passed down the line to Arelius bloodline descendants ever since then.

The Ability

The Arelius Sight is the genetically endowed ability to gather information, detect changes, sense everything, with the feared and infamous Arelius senses. This legacy allows Oz’s heirs to see, hear, and feel anything within their range. They can see the present so clearly they almost read the future. This allows them to dodge almost any attack and it is nearly impossible to sneak up on them. This becomes even more powerful when they advance, as the range and precision of their senses grows.

Webs of Madra

Ozmanthus’s legacy is a unique kind of madra. Descendants manifest vast webs of detection madra that surround them and act as extra senses. Those with the Arelius legacy can send forth their detection web of madra to gather information from a circumference within range of their spirit. The range increases with the user’s strength or advancement. In the strongest recipient, the range is miles, and through walls. The detection web of madra perceives sight, sound, scent, heat, madra, aura, shifting muscles, etc. It is said that the first Monarch, Ozmanthus Arelius, could sense anything across the whole of Cradle.

In the Family

The feared and famous Arelius bloodline manifests with the greatest strength in Eithan Arelius and the Sage of a Thousand Eyes, Cladia Arelius (aka The Oracle Sage). It also manifests with strength in Cassias Arelius. It is likely that Tiberian Arelius had a good handle on the Sight, before he was murdered. Also, cousins Veris Arelius and ltavian Arelius probably possess some innate ability, too. See House Arelius.

Ozmanthus’s Ability

Ozmanthus Arelius developed this madra, and he was a Monarch, and the Founder of House Arelius, so it would have been tremendously strong in him.

Humor

Eithan spoke through another yawn. “My father used to say the First Patriarch could watch over his descendants from another continent. Maybe even from. . .beyond the grave.” Eithan waggled his eyebrows up and down.

-Blackflame ch 7

Eithan’s Ability

Eithan, of course, is quite perceptive even when just an Underlord. With his full power unveiled, who knows what he could see?

Eithan

“I have a thousand eyes and ten thousand ears.
I know everything that happens within range of
my spirit, so as soon as an enemy starts to move,
I simply step aside. It's like fighting the blind.”

-Soulsmith

Cassias’ Ability

Cassias detection web is not as broad as Eithan’s, but he’s still got the sight.

Cassias didn’t have Eithan’s talent in using their bloodline legacy, but he was still an Arelius. He saw more than anyone else could. So he stepped aside gracefully as Eithan plummeted from a rooftop above him. (Reaper, ch 7)

Cassias puts his senses to work on the cloudship Sky’s Mercy, in book 3:

“His web of madra showed him nothing but clouds and empty air for a quarter-mile around them. . . A web of invisible power stretched throughout Sky's Mercy, bringing Cassias little snippets of information: Fisher Gesha's sheets rustling as she turned, Yerin's eyelids crinkling in a disturbing dream, Lindon's chest rising and falling evenly. There was no privacy when an Arelius was around, but it was polite to act otherwise. Everyone knew what the Arelius could do, but they didn't know about the limitations. Publicly, the family liked to pretend they had none. (Blackflame ch 7)

Anomaly Jai Chen

Also, Jai Chen — who isn’t related by blood — manifests some measure of the ability because of the madra she accidentally took from Eithan during Lindon’s duel with Jai Long, the scene with the madra-sucking Archstone. However, it’s not natural to her; she will have to expend madra to use it (Skysworn). Moreover, this gathering of Eithan’s madra occurred at a surface level — it is not a genetic change in her, so she will not pass it on to her descendants.

Akura Bloodline

• Epanding Akura Armor — So far the only other known bloodline ability is expanding armor, created by Monarch Akura Malice. See also Akura Paths

Other

• Blood Aura Affinity
• Royal Madra

Corrupted Bloodlines

Dreadgod Bloodline

• Dreadgods manifest the hunger madra bloodline. Relentlessly hungry. Never satisfied. Wanting more. Related to the greed, gluttony, malcontented endless ambition of Monarchs.
• Subject One was a researcher, using hunger madra on dreadbeasts. He figuratively took a dosage himself but it warped him until he became a Dreadgod, the first of his bloodline, followed by The Bleeding Phoenix and the other three beasts.
• Subject One is depicted on a Labyrinth door in Sacred Valley.

  The last chunk of masonry rolled away, revealing a towering stone door. It was carved with the image of a gaunt, sunken human with many grasping hands, its eyes hollow and mouth open unnaturally wide. This was Subject One, at least as he had appeared long ago. A Dreadgod, though few knew that. The man who had become warped by hunger aura. The origin of their bloodline.’ (Bloodline, ch 20)